2026 Winter Break Camp
Asheville, NC

2026 Winter Break Camp this December!

Looking for something fun and meaningful for your child(ren) to do this winter break? Join us at the Ruby Ranch! We host a full-day outdoor camp on a working ranch in Candler, NC for kids age 6-16 (or adventurous rising kindergarteners). Every day is a little different! Weather permitting, we will ride horses and learn all about their care and what supports their happiness. We will do art project and games inside if there is inclement weather.

If it is cold, we have a heated lounge and a large greenhouse to explore.

Morning Schedule (10:00 AM to 12:00 PM)
Campers rotate through different activities each day, including but not limited to art, music, games, and barn time. Every camper will have the chance to ride a horse, weather permitting.

Morning activities include:

  • Gardening and cooking

  • Art—painting, crafts, pottery, and more

  • Music woven throughout the day

  • Movement and games

  • Horsemanship (horse care, rides, games, and treat making!)

Lunch break- Lunch together as a group

Afternoon Schedule (1pm - 4pm)

Campers explore the ranch with caring, safety-conscious adults.

  • Horseback riding if morning weather did not allow morning riding

  • Opportunities to make food together

  • Water play in the creek

  • Farm exploration & student led adventures

  • Singing

  • And more!

2026 Winter Sessions
Camp runs from 10am-4pm

December 21, 22 & 23

December 28, 29 & 30

Register for Winter 2026

Cost $85 per day

  • Check preferred to avoid processing fees. Zelle and Venmo also accepted.

  • Payment plans available Please reach out to discuss options for payment and/or deposit before registering.

  • Sibling discount: 10% off with code FAMILY10

  • Partial scholarships available

Refund Policy:

  • 50% refund available up to 2 week before camp begins (unless for a family emergency).

  • No refunds closer than 1 week to camp start date.

  • If you need to switch days there is a $25 fee (only applicable for days with openings).

Good to Know

  • Almost entirely outdoors. Heated indoor space available during cold or inclement weather. Make sure kiddos come dressed for the weather.

  • Camp is held on a working ranch in Candler, NC. We adore fun, experiential learning, and nature, but above all— we prioritize a safe experience.

  • Molly's Riding School leads horse related programming. Helmets provided, long pants and closed-toe shoes required for barn time.

More Than Camp

Crafts, games, activities, and riding are all part of a bigger picture. Campers ride, create, and explore together. This is a place where kids learn where food comes from, eat meals together, and leave with something real, whether that's singing a new song, an art project, or the experience of riding a horse.

Ruby Ranch is rooted in community. Families are welcome to get involved. We have a deep commitment to equity and inclusivity, and do our best to bring that into our programming. The Ranch (and its kids) participate in local outreach, food hub work, social justice activism, and volunteer efforts. If you're looking for more than just a winter camp, this is the right place for you!

Three young girls are gardening outdoors, holding containers of soil and pointing at the freshly tilled soil bed.
Three children playing by a creek, holding and examining rocks and pebbles.
Group of children playing in a shallow creek surrounded by rocks and greenery.
Group of children sitting on the ground, working together to mold and shape a large piece of clay on cardboard, surrounded by small clay creations and tools.
A young girl with braided hair and a pink dress smiling with her eyes closed, touching a large brown horse's nose with her face close to it.
Group of children watching and interacting with horses behind a fence on a farm with mountains and trees in the background.
A group of children and two adults standing on rocks in a shallow creek surrounded by trees.
Children picking tomatoes in a garden, with a basket of ripe tomatoes.
Three young girls outdoors at a farm, one girl carrying a bowl of vegetables including cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers, with two other girls standing behind her, a silver car in the background, and a farm shed with animals grazing nearby.
Group of children gathered around a baby chick inside a blue hammock in a garage or workshop
Four young girls in summer dresses near a farm field, with some walking towards distant corn plants and one girl in the foreground pointing towards the field.
A young girl in a yellow shirt with a black hair accessory bows her head while a large brown horse with a blue halter looks down at her in an outdoor sandy arena with trees and mountains in the background.
Children walking on a dirt path in a rural area with mountains and trees in the background under a partly cloudy sky.
A girl in a teal jacket interacts with two horses, one with a blonde mane and one with a dark coat, near a wooden structure on a gravel surface with a rural background of hills and trees under a partly cloudy sky.
Children gathered around a fence, feeding and interacting with a brown and white horse at an outdoor farm or petting zoo, with green grass and trees in the background.
Group of children petting horses in a fenced outdoor enclosure with a wooden barn in the background.
Two children, a girl and a boy, sitting at the edge of a shallow creek, playing with water on a sunny day.
Children playing and wading in a shallow creek surrounded by trees on a sunny day.